Post-Surgery Info

Every patient recovers differently, but I wanted to get an idea of what to realistically expect after the surgery, which takes two to three hours.
This is what Anne who had her surgery on July 7, 2003 had to say about her experience:
I also had to be at the hospital at 5:30 am. I was glad about that, though, because I wanted to be first and get it over with. Things moved very fast after 6:30 am with a constant flow of the surgical team stopping by to introduce themselves. My surgery was scheduled for 7:45, but they gave me the sedative at 7:15 (I don’t remember much after that) and took me to the operating room too for the prep. So the 7:45 time was actually when the SURGEON started; I was actually unconscious as of 7:15.
My surgery took about 2-1/2 hours for one ear without complications. Recovery time was one week to return to basic body functions, and a second week to get back to normal. I went back to work (desk job) after one week but was not 100% (maybe 75%).
The things that bothered me during recovery were:
– Sore throat
– Mild nausea
– Side of my neck hurt to touch
– Looking at a computer, TV screen or reading made me dizzy – Days 2-5
– Had a low-grade fever
– Afraid to touch the incision for a few days
– BOREDOM
– Pain pills made me groggy. I stopped taking them on day three because I thought maybe they were making me feel sick and took Advil instead.
In hindsight, it was a mistake for me to pick orange juice to drink after surgery, because of the acidity to both my stomach and my throat. I have also heard that apple juice is a bad choice if nauseated. 7-Up would have been better.
With the recovery, you just have to ride it out and take it easy. It will get better within the first week, and then that much better the second week.
Meryl notes to herself: get as much computer work done today as possible and rely on Sonic Coke for nausea (always the best especially with its crushed ice).